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Mississippi Dems push GOP for Medicaid expansion vote

Mississippi House Democrats said Monday they're trying to bring pressure on Republicans to revive a Medicaid bill that's blocked in a committee.

Republicans, meanwhile, said Democrats are playing politics with a government health insurance program that covers about 1 in every 5 Mississippi residents.

The Mississippi Medicaid program is up for renewal this year, as it is every few years. Unless lawmakers agree on a bill, the program will expire when the current budget year ends June 30.

The federal health overhaul that President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010 gives states the option of expanding Medicaid to people making 138 percent of the federal poverty level. That's about $15,000 a year. The cutoff in Mississippi is about $5,500.

Republican leaders oppose expansion. Democrats say they want a vote.

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